Combined cotton blocker and cultivator



Dec. 9, 1930. A. E. PITTMAN 1,784,313

COMBINED COTTON BLOCKER AND CULTIVATOR Filed Oct. 29, 1928 4Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1930. A. E. PITTMAN 1,784,313

COMBINED COTTON BLOCKER AND CULTIVATOR Filed oct. 29,1928 4 sheets-sheet2 Inventor rtemusFZT-)z 'Hman Dec'. 9, 1930. l A. E. PITTMAN 1,784,313

COMBINED COTTON BLOCKER AND CULTIVATOR Filed Oct. 29, 1928 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventar 1 l By tto r11 @y Dec. 9, 1930. A. E.- PITTMAN1,784,313

COMBINED COTTON BLOCKER AND CULTIVATOR Filed oct. 29, 192s 4sheets-sheet" 4 ttorn'ej Patented Dec. 9, 1930 i UNITED STATES OFFICEAnrnmtrs EnAs'rUs PITTMAN, or MUscoGEE, FLORIDA communi) COTTON vBLOCKERAND. CULTIVATOR Application ined october 29, 1,928. serial No. 315,82?.

r`15 anism may lbe entirely removed so that the implement may beemployed as a cultivator only.

Furtherthan this a suitable fertilizer distributor or seed plantingdevice may be as- 0 sociated with the implement in lieu of the blockingmechanism if desired.

The invention further aims to .provide a combined implement Aof thischaracter that may be used as a riding ,or walking blocker andcultivator. f Y

With the foregoing and other objects in view as the nature of theinvention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form,combination and arrangement of 30 parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In kthe drawings wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views;l

Figure lisa side elevation of my improved implement.

Figure 2 is a top plan viewthereof.

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the machine. f

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partially in elevation and partially incross section of one of the cultivator disc units.

Figure 5 is a vdetail longitudinal ,section through the .unit takensubstantially upon Cil the line 5 5 of Figure 4 and looking downwardlyin the direction of/the arrows.

Figure 6 is a top side perspective of the disc carrying plate of one ofthe units; 'i

" Figure 7 is a perspective of one ofthe unit 50k c ombine'd'foot restand Vpressure levers.

FigureS lis an inner sidey perspective of the preferred type ofplantprotector bladeV one of which is located atfthey inner side of eachcultivator unit to prevent the unblocked 55 plants from being ycoveredby the furrow. 4 Figure 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sect-ion through,therim portion of the blocker wheel, and

Figure l() is a fragmentary transverse secso tion therethrough. Y

Now havfng particular yreference to the drawing, my novel implementconsists of a main frame `composed of side bars that diverge slightlytoward their rear ends, the e5 front ends being joined by a curved bightportion 6, while secured to the forward end of this frame is a suitabledraft tongue 7, the rear ends ofthe sidebars of the frame 5 are joinedby a transverse frame bar 8, while associated with this rear transversebar 8 is a stationary axle bar 9 having depending ends 10-10 Ywith whichare associated supporting wheels 11---1-1.` Within the forward end ofthe frame 5 is a segmental moon shaped brace T5 12, while secured to therear portion thereof M and intermediate ,its ends is a vertically eX-tending clevis 13. Adjustably pivot-ally secured .to this clevis 413within 'the frame 5 is an elongated U-shaped.subframe 14. Pivoted to themain frame cross bar 8 is a foot lever l5, one end of which is connectedto the sub-frame lll by a chain or cable 16 s o that when .pressure isapplied tothe outer end of this foot lever, the rear end of thesub-frame la will be elevated for a purpose presently to be described..,Rigidly bolted to and depending from the side legs of the sub-frame 14adjacent the rear ends thereof are hangers 17e-1:7 Vofhapairofcultivator units designat- 90 er 17 at a predetermined angle through theY ed generally A, y Arranged upon the lower end of eachhanger 17 is asomewhat elongated plate 18 formed centrally with an opening 19=wherebyto facilitate the swivel association ofthe plate with the Vhanger`through the medium of a swivel pin 19. Ad-

jacent the forward end of each plate 18 the same is formed transverselywith a curved row vof spaced openings 21 tofacilitate the securing ofthe plate with respect to thehangmedium of abolt or pin connection 22'eXtendl y ed throughthelower end of the hangerand a predeterminedopening in' said plate. Ar-

ranged transversely?througlrathe front; and rea-r ends of each plate'18a'recultivator disc supporting pins 22--22,1y whilearranged upon -Jtheinner end of each forward pinis a cultivator disc 23 and uponthe'outerendof keach rearmostr in is a cultivator discv 24. yAs illustrated 1nFigure 3, these discs are pref# erably ca'ntedtoA cutlinwardlftoward thecotton plant,`the sizwe'of the urrowsl being regulated by theangle oft-heunit plates. 18. Obviously, wheny the 'sub-frame 14 is raisedthese'cultivator discs will be drawn out of engagement withthe earth.

Associatedy with the rear end ofeach'plate fo'f the units A isanupwardlyextending pressure llever`25, the upper .,endjof each ofwhichy is yprovided witha footv rest bar VK26. The pressure of theyoperators feet against these levers willfcontrol the depthkof thecutofthe cultivator disc. l

Arranged'transversely ofy the side lg'sfof y the sub-frame 14 forwardlyofthe hanger-17 is a barf26`,wh'ile secured thereto inwardly oi the sidelegs ofsaid vfra'melare depending blade shafts 27 thelower end of eachof which is equipped with a protector blade 28 disposed inwardly oftheforemost cultivator discs toprevent the earth from being turned overupon the unblocked plant.l

, The plant blocking mechanism consists of a Uk-shaped wheel hanger 29pivoted at its kforwardif'opposed end within the forward ndof thesub-'frame 14, while supported beltweenV the ends of thelegs is a-rblocker wheel y 30. yThis'wheel consists ofk a hub 31 from which radiatespokey sections 32, the outer ends l,thereof being threaded,-and beingsecured to similar' spoke sections' 33 through 4 the mediumoffturnbuckles 34. lThe youter ends of these spoke sections 33 are headed asillustrated'inFigure 9.' Furthermore, the

y blocker wheel consists Aof a pluralitykofrim sections rk3510i?relatively wide V-shape in cross 4section as illustrated in Figure 10."y.Arl-

rangeduponfthe'inner concave face ofeach f rim section 35 intermediatethe ends thereof isa longitudinally extending strap 36, the opyposite'ends of these straps being'oi'set inwardly .so as to have spacedrelation -with the innerfaces -of the sections, as 'clearly illus'-trated in Figure 9. Furthermore,fthe ends ones thereof will becrushedinto the earth, while those kpassing between the spaces-of, the

- as the wheel moves over the plant, certain wheel` rimwill'b'e-unharrned.. vPivoted to a suitable'rvertical support 38attached to the ysub-frame cross bar 26`intermediate theends thereof isa 'bell crank-lever1p39, the forward ouslyithe downward swingingmovement of y the rearend'of thislever will raise the blocker kwheelfrom the 'earthsurface j Preferably the machine is equipped with y anoperator seat 41 atthe reary endlthereof,

'but'if1desired, control 'handles 42e-42 may be detachably kassociatedwith the hanger17 of the'cultivator units so that the device may beemployed as a walking implement.

In'view'of lthe foregoingl description when considered inconjunctionwith'fthe *accom-k.

vpanyingdrawing it will 'be apparenttliatI ave 'provided a novel,ysimple and efficient combined cotton blocker and cultivator, yeventhough I fha'veherein vrshown and described i the inventionasfconsisting of certain detail structural-f elements it is neverthelessto'L be *understood that some changes maybe made therein withoutalfectingthe spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. y j y' Havingthusdescribed the invention, what I claim as new' and desireto 'secure byLetters Patent is 'f 1. In an agricultural machine of the characterdescribed, a main frame, a air of'supporting wheels at the rear end ;othey frame,

draft. attachingr means at the forward end of the frame, a sub-framearranged beneath saidpm'ain: frame,a vertically adjustable ivotalconnection between the forward/fen of thesub-fr'ame'and saidmain frame,means aty *the'vlrea'r Aend of" said sub-frame rwhereby it may beyraised or lowered, earthvworking elements associated with and dependingfrom the oppositesides of the sub-frame, av blockingunit located kat theforwardend of and intermediate lthe sides ofy said. sub-frame, saidblocking units consistingof a wheel in.- cluding a hub portion,spokesradiatingthere-A from, and segmental rim sections associated withthe outerv ends ofthe spokes, and having spaced relation at their endsto provide spaces f within they rim ofthe wheel.

I 2. Inlanagricultural machine ofdtheclass described, a kmain wheelsupported frame, a sub-frame, ra.: vertically adjustable pivotalconnection. between the forwardend of the main frame and said sub-frame,hangers depending from oppositesides of said subframe at the rear end ofsaid sub-frame, plates swivelly mounted on the lower ends of saidhangers, means for retaining said plates at a predetermined angle withrespect to said hangers, cultivator disks carriedy by said plates, saiddisks being disposed one at each end of said plates at opposite sides ofthe lrespective plates, means for raising and lowering the free end ofsaid sub-frame for regulating the cutting depth ofsaid disks, a wheelmount pivoted in the forward end of said sub-iframe, a radiallyeXpansible blocker wheel rotatably supported in said wheel mount, andmeans for raising and lowering the freerend of said wheel mountindependently of said sub-frame.

3. In an agricultural machine of the class Y described, a main wheelsupported frame, a sub-frame, a vertically adjustable pivotal connectionbetween the forward end of the sub-frame and said main frame, hangerseX- tending downwardly from oppositev sides of said sub-frame at therear end of said subframe, cultivator discs mounted on the lower endportion of said hangers, means for mounting said disks on thelower endsof said hangers, said last mentioned means including means for retainingsaid disks at a predetermined angle with respect to said hangers, saiddisks being canted to turn inwardly toward the cotton plant, and wherebythe vsides of the furrows made by said disks may be regulated by theangularity of the disks with respect to said hangers, means foractuating said sub-frame for controlling the cutting depth of saiddiscs, a wheel mount pivotally mounted in the forward end of saidsubfrarne, a radially expansible blocker wheel rotatably supported inAsaid wheel mount, means for raising or lowering the free end of saidwheel mount independently of said sub-frame, said wheel embodyingcircumferentially spaced rim sections. p

4. In an agricultural machine of the class described, a main wheelsupported frame, a sub-frame, a vertically adjustable pivotal connectionbetween the forward end of the main frame and said sub-frame, hangersdepending from opposite sides of said subframe at the rear end of saidsub-frame, plates swivelly mounted on the lower ends of said hangers,means for retaining said plates at a predetermined angle with respect t0said hangers, cultivator disks carried by said plates, said disks beingdisposed one at each end of said plates at opposite sides of therespective plates, means for raising and lowering the free ends' of saidsub-frame for regula'ting the cutting depth of said disks, a wheel mountpivot-ed in the forward end of said sub-frame, a radially expansibleblocker wheel rotatably supported in said wheel mount, and means forraising and lowering the free end of said wheel mount independ-

